Christmas Spirit
by Center of the Galaxy
Summary: *AU No hunting* Charlie Bradbury just wants her wish to be granted by Heaven. To achieve that; however, she has until Christmas to fix a broken soul, whatever that means. Enter Dean Winchester, a man with a heavy burden on his shoulders and a tragic past. *Christmas story full of family feels, fluff, and hurt!Sam in later chapters, Bobby/Jody, Sam/Jess*
1. Orders

_**Author's Note:**_ _Major AU—takes place in a world without hunting. After all the angst on the show—hello mid-season finale, I'm looking at you!—I wanted to write something fluffy and happy and full of probably cheesy Christmas spirit. This is the result. To be clear, the boys aren't hunters. I will explain why John and Mary aren't in this story in a later chapter, but I'm going to be playing around with other characters and aspects of the show. If you don't like AU's of this nature, this story might not be for you. And yes, hurt!Sam will be coming. Because, as much of a lover of fluff as I am, I still love hurt!Sam a bit more. Please enjoy this first chapter!_

* * *

" _It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas_

 _Soon the bells will start_

 _And the thing that will make them ring_

 _Is the Carol that you sing_

 _Right within your heart."_

— _Michael Bublé, "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas"_

* * *

"Bless you dear." The old woman whispered as Charlie ladled warm corn chowder into her plastic bowl.

She was one of the regulars here at the soup kitchen where the redhead volunteered, Mrs. Winters, as she'd liked to be called. Her husband had died a few years before and she had fallen on hard times since, coming into the kitchen at least once a week. Her hair was powdered white and she was much too skinny to be healthy, still her smile was warm and she always would tell Charlie wonderful stories of days long gone by, the ones that old period movies seemed to be based on.

"You're welcome." Charlie ducked her head, embarrassed by the praise. A lot of the patrons who frequented the soup kitchen often refused to look her in the eye, ashamed of whatever circumstance brought them there. The self-proclaimed nerd did her best to try and be welcoming, but there was only so much she could do.

It was Christmas time at the soup kitchen. Garlands and plastic snowflakes hung from the walls. Happy snowmen beamed from their place at the tables. It was really a cheery sight, but for the people here, the holidays could be a distressing time. While everyone around them spent time with their families, eating decadent meals, many of the people here were homeless and often alone in the world.

"Charlie." Her supervisor, Anna Milton sauntered over to her, an easygoing grin on her peach lips. Anna was a kind, generous soul, one who had given up her own lucrative job as the manager of a large accounting firm to create this soup kitchen in Kansas. Her hair was auburn and curly—a new haircut, she'd explained a few days ago, to impress any guys she came across during the multitude of Christmas parties she'd be going to.

Charlie doubted that Anna had trouble getting dates—she was drop dead gorgeous in her opinion and if she wasn't straight, Charlie would've definitely fallen for her—but she still nodded her head in support all the same.

"How's it going?" Anna placed a warm hand on her shoulder, grinning.

"Well!" Charlie chirped, bright and energetic.

"You can get going in a few minutes," Anna informed her. "I know you said you had somewhere to be—"

The young woman's eyes widened as she processed her boss' words, "Oh! Yes, I'm meeting with someone."

Anna's eyes sparkled mischievously, "Who? A date?"

"No, no," Charlie shrugged, lowering her gaze shyly. "I told you before, I haven't got time to date."

It was true. Between her time at the soup kitchen and the other jobs she did around time, Charlie barely had a spare second for herself. That was okay though—she knew that when she accepted her fate that it wouldn't be easy. Pretty soon though, it would all be worthwhile.

By the time Christmas came, her wish would finally be granted.

"That's a shame," Anna's shoulders slumped, sighing somewhat, "I know a great girl who would be just perfect for you—"

Charlie's alarm began to go off, the soft tinkling of bells interrupting her supervisor's words.

"Sorry!" She dropped the ladle, almost spilling burning soup on her arms. Wincing, Charlie backed away from the pot, "I have to run."

"Got it." Anna took her place, grinning. "Have fun!"

Grinning, Charlie waved as she sprinted out the door.

* * *

"Wow, Kevin," Charlie took a sip of her warm tea, smiling softly at the young teen before her. "So, you've done everything?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded his head enthusiastically, almost spilling his cup of coffee onto the table from the force, "Today's my last day."

The young woman frowned, a bittersweet feeling welling up within her heart. She knew, of course, that this day would come. When she had first met Kevin, she'd been so happy to meet somehow like her, in practically her same situation. She'd clung to him those first few weeks and he, bless him, helped her learn her duties.

And now, he was leaving her.

"So, I guess this is goodbye?" She tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She should be happy for Kevin. This was the culmination of everything he'd worked for the past few months—she should be celebrating with him, not almost crying in front of him.

"For now." He placed a warm hand on hers and grinned.

"What are you going to do when you get back?"

He thought for a moment, biting his lower lip, before meeting her gaze once more. With a voice barely above a whisper, he admitted, "I want to hug my mom."

Charlie couldn't help but laugh. Kevin was a mama's boy, that much she knew, but she was happy for him. He had a family to return to, one who would love him and protect him.

He was really lucky.

"Hey," He caught her attention. "Let's meet again."

It was highly improbable that they would meet again. After today, he would be back with his family and his memories of this time—of her—would be gone. That was the trade off, of course. You couldn't get something for nothing, after all.

"Yeah."

And though her heart was breaking, she still managed a watery grin.

* * *

"Charlie Bradbury."

She froze in the middle of her tiny kitchen, knowing that monotone voice better than any other in the world.

"Castiel." She greeted with a grin, turning off the burner of the stove in order to the face the angel. She motioned for him to sit, but the angel stood stiffly in the corner, tucked away by her refrigerator. She tried to suppress a laugh—despite having known the angel for almost two months, he still surprised her by how awkward he could be.

"You've made great progress." He stated, the closest thing that he would ever get to a smile on his lips as his cerulean eyes locked onto her gaze. "Heaven is pleased."

"I'm glad." She grinned.

"We have deemed that you only have one more task to complete before your wish is granted."

Her mouth fell open and she quickly forced it shut.

"Really?" She exclaimed, wanting to jump for joy.

"Yes," The angel nodded his head. "You have until Christmas to mend a broken soul."

"A broken soul?" She echoed, the word foreign on her tongue. She racked her brain to try and decipher their meaning. All of her other tasks until now had been simple—volunteer her time, help people in the town. This, by far, was the most cryptic.

"Yes. A broken soul."

"And how will I know—?"

"You'll know."

Then, in a flutter of wings, the angel was gone.

"Cryptic much, Castiel?" She exclaimed, though she knew it would do her no good. Heaven had made up its mind. She had one more task to fulfill before her wish was granted. She would find this broken soul and she would definitely fix it in no time flat!

And then, she would finally be able to live her life again.

* * *

Tuesdays and Thursday nights, she volunteered at the local hospital. She helped clean sheets, distributed food and tried her best to cheer up the patients that she visited.

In room 248, for example, a gruff man named Bobby Singer was recovering from a bad fall off his ladder. His leg was broken and though he was perfectly fine, he'd been admitted on his wife's request after she found him running around on his cast. Mrs. Singer was a sheriff in the next town over and from what Charlie had been able to understand, she wasn't someone to be trifled with.

A lot of the other volunteers wouldn't go near Bobby and to be fair, he was pretty intimidating. He cursed at the TV often and loudly, his gaze was always narrowed and it seemed like he was perpetually grumpy. In fact, the first night she'd encountered him, he had yelled at her for bringing him the wrong food order. Charlie; however, had refused to be intimidated and told him that he got what he got and he better not throw a fit.

Bobby had sputtered for a moment and then laughed, calling her "one hell of a girl" and said she was welcome to visit him anytime.

So, she did.

Every night she volunteered, she made sure to snag him a sandwich from the wonderful shop downtown and sneak it to him. Then, they'd talk about her day and how his doctor was a "fucking idiot" and she'd try not to laugh.

Tonight was no exception.

"Mr. Singer, I brought you your—"

There was a young man in the room with vibrant green eyes and a well-worn leather jacket. He gave her a cursory glance as she entered the room and then sighed, like she was wasting his time.

"Oh, Charlie, come in!" Bobby called, the happiest she'd seen him since he got here.

"Uh, sure." She awkwardly stepped into the room, trying not to stare at the man who was glaring at her.

"Dean, this is Charlie."

Dean didn't acknowledge her.

"Charlie, this is Dean Winchester. He's the closest thing I've got to a son."

High praise coming from Bobby. He didn't strike her as the man who kept a large circle of friends or family.

"Nice to meet you." She extended her hand; he did not shake.

"Bobby, I've got to go—" Dean's voice was husky, much deeper than she had initially imagined it. His hair was somewhat askew and there were dark bags under his eyes. Was he getting enough sleep, she wondered idly, or maybe he was sick?

"Yeah, sure," Bobby dismissed him, nodding his head. "Say hi to Sam for me."

"Will do." He brushed past her on his way out of the room.

"Don't mind him," Bobby caught her attention, his eyes still locked on the door where Dean left. "This time of year is always hard for him."

Her ears perked up, "Yeah? Why?"

"It's a long story." Bobby replied quietly.

"I see." She didn't, but she couldn't help but feel like she should go after Dean. There was something stirring within her—a longing to connect with him, a desire to help him—and Castiel's voice rang within her ears.

 _You'll know._

Dean had a broken soul and it was her job to fix it.

And once she did, her wish would finally be granted.

* * *

She hesitated in front of the door.

Bobby had given her the address and after a few well-placed lies on her part that she was surprised he'd bought— _The hospital really wants its volunteers to connect more with family members, you know, and offer our support—_ she'd gotten in her trusty car and drove the half an hour away to this very impressive building. It wasn't really a house, more of a bunker, like those built in the 50's in case of a nuclear disaster.

"What am I doing?" She whispered to herself.

She didn't know Dean Winchester. She knew next to nothing about him. For all she knew, he could be a creepy serial killer who abducted and tortured redheads for fun. Here she was, going off a weird feeling in her gut, approaching a stranger's door in order to convince him to let her help heal his broken soul.

Yeah, that totally didn't sound crazy.

But, Castiel had said that she would know whom to heal.

And at the hospital, while shaking Dean's hand, she felt such a profound agony in her chest that she ached and wanted to burst into tears. That was the pain he carried around with him day after day.

She had to fix it.

"So, Red, you going to knock or what?" A joking voice inquired and Charlie huffed out a laugh as she faced the archangel who was sitting on the hood of her car.

"Gabriel, hey," She greeted, coming down the steps to meet him. "I thought you were busy doing some sort of official business." That's what Castiel had told her when she'd inquired after him.

"Official business?" Gabriel echoed, barely suppressing a laugh. "Yeah, right, Red. Can you imagine me doing official business?"

"No, not really." She confessed sheepishly.

"Heard Kevin got his wish," Gabriel mentioned casually, much too casually and her gaze dropped. "You okay with that?"

"I'm happy for him." She forced herself to say. "He gets to go back to his life."

"He won't remember you though." Gabriel stated softly.

"I know." She whispered.

There was silence for a bit.

"So, what about you?" Gabriel pointed towards the bunker. "This for a job?"

"Yeah, actually." She answered. "I'm supposed to heal a broken soul."

Gabriel's nose wrinkled up in disgust and chuckled, "Yeah, cause that's not cryptic."

"That's exactly what I said!" Charlie exclaimed, her voice much too loud.

"Good luck, Red."

"Wait, Gabriel where are you—?"

"Hey, you!" A voice shouted and Charlie spun around to see Dean Winchester standing in the open doorway. "What the hell do you want?"

The young woman cringed she grimaced. So much for a battle strategy, she thought.

She took a few steps towards the doorway and Dean's eyes narrowed.

"You're the girl from the hospital," He deduced. "Is everything okay with—?"

"Mr. Singer is totally fine!" Charlie explained rapidly. "Sorry, I, uh, well, I—"

"Out with it." Dean spat.

"Dean Winchester." She met his gaze, refusing to be intimidated. This was what she was meant to do. He needed her help and she would give it to him, regardless of whether or not he wanted it.

"Dean Winchester," She spoke again, her voice louder and more confident, "My name is Charlie Bradbury and I'm here to fix your broken soul."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _I know there are a lot of unresolved questions, especially regarding Charlie's situation, but I don't want to give everything away now. I will explain what is going on slowly over the course of the story. Next chapter will feature a lot of Sam! I hope you guys will stick with me as I delve into this AU world. Please review if you have a moment! Thanks!_


	2. Plans

_**Author's Note:**_ _I'm so happy that a lot of you are enjoying this story! I hope it will be an interesting one for all of you as I, for one, am really enjoying fleshing out this AU. Today, we meet Sam! I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

" _Have yourself a merry little Christmas_

 _Let your heart be light_

 _From now on, our troubles will be out of sight."_

— _Frank Sinatra, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"_

* * *

Dean slammed the door in her face.

Charlie wasn't really surprised—if the situations had been reversed, she definitely would've done the same—but as she stood outside in the cold, she grimaced. She could knock again, be more insistent, but she had the feeling that he would probably call the cops on her and she wouldn't be able to get her wish fulfilled if she was in jail on stalking charges.

She needed a Plan B.

"Beautiful, Charlie," Gabriel laughed, loud and boisterous as he materialized beside her. "So, you going to give up?"

"Of course not." She shook her head, sighing somewhat. "I just need another way in."

"Give you a hint?" He murmured, nudging her somewhat towards her car.

"Sure."

"Go back to the hospital. Get yourself another way in." The angel counseled and Charlie nodded, running her hand through her hair.

"Got it." She reached for her car keys, only for Gabriel to snatch them out of her hands.

"I'll drive!"

She laughed, feeling somewhat relieved now that she had a back up plan. She would figure out a way to help save Dean, no matter what it took.

* * *

"Ah, Charlie, right?"

The redhead froze in the hospital corridor, coming face to face to a middle-aged woman wearing a sheriff's uniform, her chestnut hair tied back in a straight ponytail. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the young woman and immediately, she pulled her into a warm hug.

"Oh. Uh, yeah, I'm Charlie," She answered somewhat sheepishly. "And you are—?"

"Jody Mills," The older woman explained quickly, releasing Charlie. "Well, Jody Singer now, I guess." She flashed her a dazzling grin.

"Oh, Mrs. Singer!" Charlie exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "It's so nice to meet you—"

"Call me Jody please." She insisted, shaking Charlie's hand in a firm grip.

"I've heard so much about you—"

"I'm sure," Jody smirked. "My husband has been causing hell around here I've heard. Scaring nurses, barking at doctors—"

Charlie chuckled somewhat, "Well, Mr. Singer is an interesting patient, for sure, but he means well."

"Sure, he does," Jody murmured. "My husband just likes to be difficult."

"I suppose so." Charlie agreed somewhat, thinking back to when she first started work here and came across Bobby. He'd been a jerk, for sure, but she knew now that it was just a front. In the quiet moments, he'd laugh and grin and make her feel like she wasn't alone in this world.

"I wanted to thank you, for everything," Jody continued softly. "Bobby is being released this week. Would you come to family dinner?"

"Me?" Charlie echoed, completely taken aback by the offer.

"Yes, you." Jody confirmed.

"I would love to."

"Great!" Jody exclaimed, hugging her once more. "I'll have Sam pick you up tomorrow. Bobby mentioned you work at the soup kitchen downtown—"

"Sam?" She didn't recognize that name.

"Dean's brother," She grinned. "The boys are like family to us."

"Your husband said that too." Charlie informed her, wondering why that was. Where were Sam and Dean's actual parents? Maybe they were orphans?

A timer beeped and Jody glanced at her watch.

"Damn," She cursed, then glancing up at Charlie, "I have to run! I'll see you tomorrow!"

And in a blur, Jody was gone.

* * *

That night, in her sparsely furnished apartment, Charlie sat down on her wooden floor and let her gaze drift up to the ceiling.

"What am I doing?"

It was true that going to family dinner would get her closer to Dean, but was that really the only reason that she had agreed to go? She liked Bobby a lot. He always made the nights she volunteered there interesting. He treated her like a warm friend, instead of a perfect stranger.

But it was also true that she was running out of time. Christmas would mark the end of her six-month time frame. If she took too long with this final task, if she lost her focus—boom, she would be gone. Heaven didn't mess around and when they gave deadlines they meant them.

She couldn't allow her feelings for Bobby, or his family, to cloud her judgment. She had to mend Dean's broken soul—that's it—and the sooner she did that, the sooner she would get her wish granted and she could go back to the life that she had left behind her.

"Just gotta stay focused."

She doubted that it would be easy to do that though.

* * *

"Charlie?"

"Yes?" She turned around to face a young man in a business suit. His chestnut hair was longer, almost touching his shoulders, and his eyes were deep and soulful.

"I'm Sam," He extended a hand and she immediately shook it, taken in by his blinding smile. "Jody asked me to swing by and pick you up."

"Right!" The redhead exclaimed and then turning around to see people staring, she quickly lowered her voice, "Just give a minute to let Anna know I'm leaving."

"I'll be right here." He told her with a quick nod of his head.

Anna was in the back, opening up packages of canned goods and sorting them into piles. Upon seeing the younger woman, Anna beamed.

"Charlie, what's up?"

"I actually have to take off now—"

"Oh, right, family dinner!" Anna snapped her fingers, remembering that yes, she'd been told that before. "Have fun! Let me know if anyone is single."

"You're incorrigible." Charlie sighed dramatically and Anna winked at her.

"Big word."

Charlie chuckled and began to move towards the door when Anna called out, "Have fun!"

Sam was waiting right where she left him, his careful gaze taking in every detail of the soup kitchen. It was a slower night—it was the middle of the week—and most of their patrons had left for the day.

"Ready?" Sam questioned upon seeing her.

"Yeah," She smiled. "Let's go!"

He motioned for her to follow him. His car was parked outside, a vintage black Impala.

"Wow." Charlie couldn't help but gape. It was the most beautiful car she had seen. The paint seemed to sparkle under the dim moonlight and its form was so sleek. She'd always wanted a car like this, but resigned herself to never being able to have enough money to own one.

"She's Dean's baby," Sam explained, gesturing to the car. "Our dad left it for him in his will."

Their father was dead and she mentally kicked herself for inadvertently bringing that up into conversation.

"I'm sorry—" She immediately apologized only for Sam to shrug.

"It was a long time ago." He dismissed her fears.

"Still . . ." Her voice faded away as she thought about her own parents, about how she was wreck for years after and even to this day, thinking too much about them brought tears to her eyes. Losing them had forced her to grow up much too quickly; it had resorted in numerous foster homes that hadn't cared about her.

She was here though, alive.

She had a chance to finally set her life straight.

She just had to get her wish fulfilled.

"Don't worry about it, Charlie." Sam grinned. "Really."

"Okay." She managed a smile.

Sam turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. Classic rock began to filter in from the speakers and she wasn't all too surprised by that.

"Jody said you were the only volunteer that Bobby liked?" Sam turned out of the parking lot and they got onto the main road. Glittering Christmas lights from the nearby shops sparkled in the dark.

"I guess." Charlie answered.

"He can be stubborn," Sam informed her, "But he's a good guy. He took care of Dean and I."

"Yeah?" She wanted more details. Knowledge was power and if she was going to heal Dean's broken soul, the more she knew the better.

"Our mom died when I was just a baby," Sam began, frowning somewhat. "Dad kind of checked out after that. You know, drinking too much—"

"He was an addict." She surmised, having known a few of those at the soup kitchen. People serving an invisible master, a slave to the chemical imbalance in their brains.

"Yeah," Sam answered. "And one day, he just couldn't handle it anymore and just . . ." His voice faded at this point and he bit his lip, preventing any more words from coming out.

"He died?" She ventured.

Sam nodded.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry." She couldn't stop herself from reacting. How horrible for them, to lose both their parents. They were like her though—an orphan—though she wouldn't dare compare her loss to his. What he had went through—he and his brother both—no one should have to go through.

"It's okay," Sam replied softly. "It's been a long time since then."

She didn't say anything, unsure of what she could possibly say to make the situation better.

"You have family here?"

"No," She answered quickly, "My parents died when I was little. A drunk driver."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," She forced a grin on her lips. "It's been years since then."

Years ago but even now it still haunted her dreams.

They drove a bit longer, the rock music serving as a comfortable companion to the silence.

"We're here." Sam directed and she let her gaze follow his pointed finger.

"A salvage yard?" She questioned, eyeing all the damaged cars sitting in perfect rows on the dusty grounds.

"Yep!" Sam confirmed.

The car came to a stop and Sam turned off the engine.

"This is my first family dinner." She confessed sheepishly and then blushed, unsure of why she was telling him this.

"You'll do great." He told her, dazzling her with a blinding smile. "Now, let's go inside."

Nodding, she followed him outside, walking towards the unknown.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Next chapter, the family dinner, more on why Dean is being so mean, and more background on Charlie's wish. Please review if you have a moment. Thanks!_


	3. Drama

_**Author's Note:**_ _My plan is to finish this story by Christmas so probably three or four more chapters left! Thank you all so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it!_

* * *

" _It's that time of year when the world falls in love_

 _Every song you hear seems to say_

 _Merry Christmas, may your New Year dreams come true_

 _And this song of mine in three quarter time_

 _Wishes you and yours the same thing too."_

— _Kristin Chenoweth, "The Christmas Waltz"_

* * *

Charlie supposes family dinner is a bit of an understatement.

The Singer's house is full of people bustling in. Police officers laughing with Jody, other gruff men dressed like Bobby discussing various topics quite intently and just general loud, organized chaos.

It overwhelms her.

She hasn't been around this many people since the Christmas before her parents died and that was years ago. She'd gotten so used to being alone in this world that being confronted by an alternative—surrounding oneself with a happy, loving, and loud family—it sort of terrifies her. She instantly feels inadequate and like she doesn't belong. Who is she, after all? A volunteer who happened to be the only one to get Bobby to accept life in the hospital. She shouldn't be here—

"Charlie, whoa," Sam grabs her wrist and she freezes, realizing now that she had been turning around to go back outside. The youngest Winchester meets her gaze, concern pooling in what she can only call puppy dog eyes. "You okay?"

She forces a shaky smile on her lips, "It's just a lot of people."

Sam squeezes her shoulder and nods, "Yeah, Jody and Bobby have a lot of friends and Jody must've invited all of them."

"I just . . ." She swallows nervously and Sam waits expectantly for her to go on. "I'm sorry, I just don't think like I should be here."

She should be at home, begging Castiel to give her another assignment. Heal a broken soul, who is she kidding? She can't get through to Dean Winchester. She can barely convey her own thoughts right now. There has to be some alternative task for her to do to get her wish—

"Hey." Sam beams at her and it fills her with a comforting warmth that she hasn't felt since before her parents died. "Bobby has a saying, one that applies to both of us. Family doesn't end with blood."

She chuckles at that, "He says that, huh? Seems a little too sentimental for him."

Sam laughs, hearty and booming, "Yeah, but it's true. Now, why don't—"

"Sam!" A gorgeous blonde calls out and Charlie shrinks back, somewhat intimidated by her. Her hair is back in a sleek ponytail and she's wearing an outfit Charlie could never pull off—a black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. The blonde gives Sam a quick peck on the lips and then lets her gaze move to Charlie. "Who's this?"

Nobody, Charlie thinks.

"This is Charlie," Sam introduces her and Charlie manages a shaky grin. "And Charlie, this is Jessica, my fiancé."

"Oh, congrats." Charlie immediately replies, somewhat envious of how happy the two of them looked. Sam has his arm snaked around Jessica's waist and she's resting her head on Sam's shoulder, content and at peace.

They're lucky, both of them.

"Thank you for taking such good care of Bobby." Jessica replies warmly. "Jody told me about all the hard work—"

"It was nothing, really." Charlie dismisses. She's not used to having so many people praise her in one day. In fact, it makes her somewhat uncomfortable.

"Bobby can be a stubborn ass, so I doubt it." Jessica winks at her and Charlie huffs out a laugh, taken aback by Jessica's humor. The blonde then turns to Sam. "Jody wants to see you."

"Yeah, okay," Sam replies, then looking at Charlie, he beams. "Help yourself, okay?"

He and Jessica then vanish into the crowd and Charlie is left to awkwardly stand near the door.

"What am I doing?" She murmurs. She should go and call a cab. She doesn't belong here. She needs to find another task or—

"You seem distressed." A crisp voice notes and she turns to the side to see Castiel standing beside her, his cerulean eyes boring into hers.

"I just . . ." She sighs somewhat, running her hand through her hair. "Look, can I get a do-over?"

"Do-over?" Castiel echoes, struggling with the unfamiliar word.

"Like a new task to do." She completes. "Because I don't think I can do this."

"It is because you think that way that you were assigned this task." Castiel frankly states. He surveys the room full of laughing, happy people and then meets her gaze. "Charlie, do you remember why you made your wish?"

"Of course." She answers quickly.

How could she forget that night, almost a year ago? She swore to herself that she would achieve her goal, no matter what pain she may experience or what obstacles came in her way.

"Then, know this," He places a warm hand on her shoulder. "Heaven has a plan for you, Charlie Bradbury. You must simply be strong enough to see it through."

"But what does that even mean—?"

In a flutter of wings, Castiel is gone.

Charlie chuckles darkly, "Typical."

"Hey, look out!" Someone shouts and Charlie is too stunned to move as a small tennis ball comes flying towards her. She shuts her eyes and prays the pain will be quick, only to feel herself being jerked out of the way.

She opens her eyes to see Dean Winchester by her side, having saved her. He glares at the guy responsible for the almost mishap and then looks down at her.

"You okay?" He asks her gruffly.

"Y-yes!" She chirps and he lets her go, starting to move towards the crowd. She quickly calls out, much too loudly, "Wait!"

"What?" Dean doesn't even turn back to face her.

"Um, look about the other night—" She's not really sure how to explain everything without giving herself away. She couldn't exactly come right out and explain that Heaven had ordered her to heal his broken soul. She had tried that anyways and it had only gotten the door slammed in front of her.

"It's fine." Dean tells her, interrupting her train of thought, before he goes to his brother's side.

It's for the first time, seeing Dean with his little brother, that she actually sees the older Winchester smile. He's like a totally different person with Sam, more at ease, more confident. He's laughing with Jessica, he's talking with his brother and the cold, stoic man of before has been replaced with an easygoing, confident one.

"Amazing, isn't it?" A man in a cowboy hat slides next to her and she can't help but nod her head in agreement. "First time I met the Winchesters, Dean nearly killed me."

"He did?"

The man chuckles, "Yeah, well to be fair, I almost dented his car." He sticks his hand out. "I'm Garth."

"Charlie."

They shake and instantly, she feels more at ease. Garth is the kind of man who goes with the flow, who can make mistakes, but is beloved by those who know him. With their connection, she can sense his soul and see how complete it is. Letting go, she grins.

"What?" Garth asks.

"You're quite lucky," She tells him. "Dean acts like I'm the plague when I'm around him."

"Yeah, well," Garth shrugs. "He's been through a lot, he and Sam both."

"I've heard that." She replies, unsure of whether she really wants to hear the fully fleshed out version of their tragic backstory. From the little bit she's already heard, it's devastating. How the two of them had even managed to become functioning adults, it's a miracle really.

"Look, you seem nice," Garth comments. "And trust me, persistence helps a lot."

"Don't be quitter then." She remarks and Garth chuckles.

"True," He replies and then spying someone in the crowd, nods to her. "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course."

She can do this.

She can mingle with the crowd and find Dean and try to help him. What other choice does she have? She's running out of time. If she doesn't figure something out, then she'll be—

"Charlie!" Jody envelops her in hug. "What are you doing in the corner like that? Come here and get some food."

Then, like a determined mother, Jody grabs her wrist and drags her through the crowd and towards the center of the room. Numerous tables have been set up and food is piled high on them. Everything from warm apple pie to mashed potatoes to a fully baked ham is out and Charlie hasn't seen this much food since she went to Anna's birthday part, almost three months ago.

This isn't her scene—being with so many people. Sure, back before all this happened, she enjoyed LARP-ing, but she had been a queen then, not some wimpy redhead who had no friends. She'd been able to be confident and happy.

Now, hopefully after she got her wish, she could go back to being that way.

"Charlie," Bobby greets from his seat. "You came."

"Found her standing in the corner," Jody is piling her plate high with way more food than Charlie knows what to do with. "Poor girl must be overwhelmed."

"You did invite half the town."

Jody glares at him and then hands Charlie the plate.

"Eat up."

Charlie takes a bite like she's told. She listens to Jody and Bobby and bicker and eats the savory food and for second, if she closes her eyes, she thinks like she could belong here.

But her eyes are open and she stiffens when she sees a familiar figure in the crowd.

"No." She breathes as he smiles maliciously at her, like a cat that caught the canary.

"Hey, Charlie." He snaps his fingers and the room freezes around her.

"Lucifer." She inclines her head ever so much, trying to be respectful and formulate a plan out. She was warned about him, of course, and knew that if she failed, she would end up being stuck with him in Hell, but she's never encountered him personally before.

"Don't act so scared." He grabs a fork from the table and eats a little piece of ham from her plate. "I just thought we should meet in person in case you fail to get your wish granted."

"I am not going to fail." She glares at him, though her heart is beating wildly. She's terrified right now and all she wants to do is run and hide, but she can't. She has to stand her ground. She needs to be strong.

Lucifer smirks at her, "Maybe." He tells her. "Maybe not."

"You have no claim over me right now—"

"Relax, would you?" He laughs at her puzzled expression. Moving a stray strand of her hair out of her face, he tucks it behind her ear. She does her best not to shudder as ice races through her skin at her contact.

His soul is black, so pierced by evilness that there is nothing left to save. Not that he would even want to be saved and she quickly jerks away, severing their connection.

"Like what you see?" He whispers and she backs up, terrified.

"Leave her alone." Castiel is in front of her now, a sword in his grasp, one that he points at Lucifer. "She is protected by Heaven. Should you interfere, you shall be—"

"Yeah, yeah," Lucifer mutters, shrugging somewhat. "Spare me your empty threats." He meets Charlie's gaze and smiles maliciously. "See you around, Charlie." Then, he fades back into the crowd and as time speeds up, the noises assault her ears as the adrenaline runs through her.

"Charlie—" Castiel reaches out for her, but it is all too much and she feels like the walls are closing and she needs to go.

Running through the crowd, she throws open the door and escapes into the cool night breeze.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Buckle up everybody, we're ramping up the drama! Also, hurt!Sam, because, let's face it, I'm a sucker for hurt!Sam. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review if you have a moment. Thanks!_


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